West Island Chaos
by The J-Man
Summary: My first fanfic ever. This is a writer's rendition of the game Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with special attention given to the relationship between Sonic and Tails (NO YAOI!) Please RR; Chapter 3 is up. An interesting conversation and a perilous battle
1. Landing at Emerald Hill

Hello all, I am the J-Man, a new writer here at FF.net. What you are about to read is the first of (hopefully) many fanficitons chronicling the many cononical and not-so-cononical adventures of everyone's favorite blue hedgehog... plus fanfics on other stuff as well :P Anyways, since this is my first published piece of writing ever, there's bound to be mistakes and/or really stupid dialogue. Anyways, I've wasted your time long enough, so here's the prologue to "West Island Chaos," my personal adaptation of the original Genesis/MegaDrive game Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with special attention given to the relationship between Sonic and Tails (NOT YAOI YOU PERVS!!). R+R, but keep in mind that I am taking advantage of creative license, so if you write anything about how this writing doesn't fit with the game, assume my answer will be "screw you." Rated PG for mild violence, may be upped to PG-13 if I decide to allow content like that...  
  
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WEST ISLAND CHAOS  
  
Prologue - Landing at Emerald Hill  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, he had arrived. That stood before him was a lush, green landscape, filled with waterfalls, beautiful plants, and a large array of furry, cute animals. It was definitely the type of place anyone would want to be if they were vacationing.  
  
Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, however, was here for another purpose.  
  
Eggman was round in physique (which is why he chose his name,) and boasted a long, straight moustache as his only source of hair. He wore a pair of black pants and covered himself with a bright red flight suit. He always wore a pair of sunglasses, though he always had his goggles with him whenever needed. He managed to always establish a halfway menacing, halfway comedic presence, the uniqueness of which contributes to his ability to stand out in a crowd.  
  
And stand out he did. Most of the smaller animals had since distanced themselves from the large doctor. This helped to prevent anything from interrupting Eggman's search, which was being carried out with the aid of a small handheld device. It was nearly two hours later when the device began to omit a distinctive beeping sound, which instilled a sense of urgency in Eggman.  
  
"Ah," Eggman exclaimed in his slightly high-pitched, wily voice, "so there is one here after all." Eggman, gazing at his device, began to wander around, aimlessly at first, until finally settling on a single spot, a small alcove on the cliffs near the waterfall. Upon stopping, he put the device away and began reaching into the alcove. After some digging, he noticed something hard and smooth. With a tug, Eggman was able to pull out the object.   
  
The gemstone shimmered in the sun, displaying an illuminate green color from its center. Eggman gazed at it with awe, then began to laugh. "Finally, the first one is in my grasp," Eggman remarked as he began his trek back to his hovercraft, a peculiar, semispherical contraption.  
  
After reaching the ship, Eggman loaded his equipment and went in. With a loud roaring sound, the ship lifted off the grounf sd if weightless and began to soar through the sky. The greenish glowing stone laid on Eggman's grasp as he rode away from the Emerald Hills.  
  
* * *  
  
The sun rose slowly above the crystal clear oceanic horizon. A school of fish started skimming the surface of the water, looking for its next meal. They interrupted their journey, however, when they noticed a large shadow above them. The shadow belonged to a mid-size red biplane. It was definitely sleek, although it did sputter a bit and the paint was fading slightly. Nevertheless, it flew through the air smoothly.  
  
It was about noon time when the biplane flew over a lush, green meadow, which happened to be part of a very large island, secluded from other such landforms in the general area. Besides the large area of greenery, the island also contained other areas of interest. Factories, cities, and large mountains could be seen from the bird's eye view of the biplane, and conveyed a very geographical diverse landform.  
  
Soon enough, the biplane landed near a large waterfall. Rushing water was heard as the pilot exited the cockpit. The pilot took a long look around, noting the animals frolicking about peacefully. After looking arounf a bit more, the pilot finally saw a nice, clear, open path. With a smirk, the pilot readied himself.  
  
Then Sonic the Hedgehog began to run.   
  
And boy, did he run. Sonic's quills vibrated behind him as he ran. His entire body shimmered a dark blue color, with the exception of his frontal torso, which was a bright peach color. He wore a special pair of red and white sneakers made specially to handle his insane speeds while running. With his free spirit, Sonic found pleasure in running at top speed, never stopping to look behind, always moving ahead to his next challenge.  
  
It was a few minutes later that Sonic arrived in the somewhat dense forest. Many trees surrounded him, including those bearing cocnuts and other exotic fruits. It was a peaceful location, at least to Sonic, and proved to be a suitable resting place for him after the long journey and before he prepared to explore the large island. Sonic went and sat down right next to a coconut tree. It was a matter of time before he succumbed to his restful nature and fell asleep. He slept for a good three hours exhaustively, obviously not noticing that he was being watched...  
  
A short distance away, behind a large coconut tree, stood an orange fox. He was short in height, and was obviusly very young. He took on all the features of a normal fox except for one interesting anomaly: he possessed two bushy tails instead of the usual one.  
  
The shy fox crept closer to the strange visitor, attempting to find out more about him, most importantly how he had reached the forest undetected. Surely, the fox would have noticed anyone coming near to where he was since the smaller animals provided him with subtle hints. Especially considering odd appearance of a blue hedgehog, something that never had taken place before...  
  
Unfortunetely, he succumbed to a short fit of clumsiness, losing his footing on the ground and falling right on top of the hedgehog's stomach. The next thing he heard was a scream...  
  
"Aaaah!" Sonic screamed, startled at the pain in his stomach, "What the heck was that?" Sonic looked around for bit looking for someone around him. He found what he was looking for when he noticed a orangish tail retreat behind one of the coconut trees. *Hmm,* Sonic pondered, *I wonder who that could've been. I guess I should find out.* Sonic made sure not to reveal that he knew of his stalker's location.  
  
The fox watched Sonic, making sure to keep quiet despite his slight panting. *Wow, that was a close one. I don't think he saw me.* He breathed a sigh of relief at his good fortune. No sooner had he done that, however, when Sonic dissappeared into the forest in a blue blur, leaving behind a pile of airborne leaves. The fox watched the scene in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened.  
  
"Hiya."  
  
The fox jumped, startled at the voice behind him. Turning around, he discovered that the voice had come from none other than the blue hedgehog. "B..but," he muttered, almost falling down in shock, "h..how... you w..were... over there... over here?... I--"  
  
"Were you the one that woke me up," Sonic said, ignoring the boy's frantic muttering.  
  
"I... I," the fox replied, almost speechless.  
  
Sonic chuckled. "Don't worry fella. i was just asking. No need to get all terrified about it."  
  
The fox almost took offense to that statement, but held his tongue saying so. "How in the world did you get from there to here so quickly?" he said instead.  
  
"Huh?" Sonic replied, thinking for a moment, "Oh, I see. I guess I was a little too fast, right?" The boy only nodded. "Well, I'm sorry I startled you. I'm just used to running everywhere I go. My name's Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. And who might you be?"  
  
"I'm... I'm Miles Prower," the fox answered, a bit more relaxed then before.  
  
"Miles huh? Kind of a weird name for a fox if you ask me"  
  
"If you want, you can call me Tails."  
  
"Hmm, Tails. I like it. But why would you call yourself by that--" before Sonic could finish, he noticed the reason: the two tails that Tails had behind him. "Oh, heh," Sonic said, a little embarrassed, "I guess it's kind of obvious."  
  
Tails bowed his head and frowned. Sonic noticed the action immediately.  
  
"Um, I didn't quite mean it like that," he stated, attempting to rebound from that less-than-tactful comment, "I've just never seen a two-tailed fox before, that's all. I guess we both still have a lot to learn."  
  
Tails smiled a little for the first time, realizing that perhaps Sonic wasn't as bad as he had thought. He stood up straight and looked at Sonic admirably. *Wow... he actually didn't make fun of me.*  
  
Sonic chuckled a bit. *Phew. Glad I got out of that one.* "So um... have anything to eat here Tails?"  
  
Tails thought for a moment, then realized he had a golden oppurtunity to impress his new friend. "Well," he began, "there are some coconuts we could get." Tails pointed to the top of a nearby coconut tree.  
  
"Hmm, that's pretty high," Sonic said, rubbing his chin, "I guess I could just ram the tree, but I don't want to startle all the animals. Of course, I could always run... up..... there?" Sonic's voice trailed off as Tails readied himself and began to spin his tails like a propeller. Soon Tails was off the ground and heading towards the top of the tree. He went and grabbed a couple of coconuts, and then eased himself on the ground, unwinding his Tails and looking at Sonic happily.  
  
It was Sonic's turned to be shocked. "Holy crap!" he exclaimed, "Have you always been able to do that?"  
  
Tails replied with a short but cheerful nod. Sonic looked at him for a while, until a smirk appeared on his face. he grabbed the top of Tails' head. "I like you kid," he said, "You're pretty cool." Sonic picked up one of the coconuts and began to walk away, looking at the sky. "Well, I think I'd better be going. If I'm going to vacation here, I'll need plenty of time to look around."  
  
Tails turned around quickly. "Wait, Sonic," he yelled.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'll get to see you again, right?"  
  
Sonic lookedat tails for a moment, and then gave him a thumbs up. "You can count on it. I promise." Sonic turned around once again *What a nice guy. And to think, he actually flew...* Sonic revved up and started running. Before Tails could react, the hedgehog was out of view.  
  
"Wow," Tails said longingly, almost melancholy, "Sonic the Hedgehog. he actually said he liked me." Tails smiled and withdrew into the forest for the day...  
  
NEXT CHAPTER: A powerful discovery by Tails, also the full introduction of West Island and Dr. Eggman, not to mention a daring adventure through the perils of the Emerald Hills. Don't miss the first official chapter, entitled "Green Land, Robotic Fury"  
  
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Wow, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The full story is still being developed, but i think I've established a good starting point. I don't see many Sonic 2 fanfics (most of them are about Sonic 3), so i think this will be either new or refreshing to most of you. Remember to R+R, and don't even mention game comparisons, or I will beat you with a dead stick. So how was my first fanfic attempt? ^_^ 


	2. Green Land, Robotic Fury

So I go to write Chapter 1, and I get writer's block. Go figure. Anyways, this will be the start of the conflict between Sonic and Eggman that everyone has played through a million times. So far, this fic has gotten pretty good reviews, so I have some motivation to continue on to the end. It's been fun writing this, so fun that I might actually write more in the future (though no comedy, cause I suck at that.) Wow, I've wasted a lot of space with this opening blurb, so I'm going to stop now and present to you Chapter 1 of "West Island Chaos" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- WEST ISLAND CHAOS Chapter 1 - Green Land, Robotic Fury  
  
Traces of light began to appear as the sun rose on the blissful Emerald Hills in the early morning, awakening the indigenous wildlife. The time for foraging had come. Many awoke in hopes of finding the next meal for themselves and their waiting family. One such animal was a small red bird, about the size of a large coconut. It had left home a short time ago to search for food, and was now considerably far away from where he had begun. It looked towards the ground, hoping to see some sort of movement in the tall grass. There was none. The bird continued its search, wincing at his bad fortune: it usually didn't take this long to find something.  
A short time later, the bird looked towards the ground, and to his delight noticed some movement in one of the dirt patches. After swooping down to take a closer look at his potential prey, he noticed that the movement had come from a group of juicy, plump earthworms frantically trying to dig into the ground. Relieved that his search was over, the bird dipped his head and scooped up the worms into his powerful beak. Satisfied with his catch, the bird got ready to turn around and begin the journey home.  
His plans were interrupted, however, when an ominous shadow overtook him.  
The bird turned around slowly, attempting to get a good look at he source. It was a large beast, silver in color and possessing one eye, which glowed an eerie yellow. The earthworms that had previously been in the bird's mouth were now free, relieved that he had released his grip. The bird stood still, frightened at this new foe, until the glowing eye focused on him.  
No time was wasted: Once it realized it had been noticed, the bird took to flight to escape the predator. But it was to no avail as the beast followed suit by going into the air itself. It crept closer and closer to the fleeing animal as the seconds went by.  
Then the bird's flight was interrupted. Bewildered, the bird checked to see what had happened, and realized the awful truth: he had been caught. The beast tightened its grip on the bird, bringing it closer to its now open mouth, still staring at it with its glowing eye. Now fallen, the bird relaxed and closed its eyes, waiting for the horror to finally end...  
  
In an open area of the Emerald Hills stood a large cliff, carrying on it a deluge of water that poured over the edge and into the large basin at the base of the cliff. This waterfall was the central area of the Emerald Hills, and served as the primary source of water for its inhabitants. Thus, it was no wonder many animals decided to make the cliff their home.  
"That's weird," Tails said. He had left his home in the forest in order to get a drink from the lake. "I don't see a lot of people here today..." The area was almost devoid of wildlife; only a few birds and other animals were present, unusual for a time when a good amount of animals mingled and enjoyed their time here.  
Tails walked up to the lake and began to drink. Well, it doesn't matter to me, thought a slightly irritated Tails as he swallowed the clean water. Tails went in for another drink when something glinted in the corner of his eye. Startled, Tails jerked his head in the direction of the bright light and went towards it. It seemed to be coming from the water.  
He jumped into the lake, curious as to where this mysterious glint came from. He swam deeper until he saw the glint again. Tails looked towards the point of origin and swam towards the bottom of the lake, where he saw the light's source: a blue gemstone. Tails grabbed the gemstone and resurfaced. Now out of the water, he took a good look at the gemstone. It was very smooth, but unusually bright, as if glowing. The weirdest thing was the feeling Tails had while holding it: it was one of uneasiness, almost ominous.  
What a weird gem, thought Tails, It isn't like anything I've seen before. And this feeling... something doesn't feel right. Tails put the gem away, making sure he wasn't seen by anyone, and began to walk away from the lake.  
On the way, however, he noticed something else. A hint of red could be seen from behind one of the large rocks in the area, which conflicted with pretty much everything else around it. Tails was a bit more cautious this time around, as this object seemed to be a lot bigger than the tiny gem he had just collected. He approached the rock slowly, and then moved to a point where he could see behind it. A large smile appeared on Tails' face when he saw the object: a large, red biplane.  
How in the world did this get here? Tails began to circle the biplane, noticing the subtle details. Hmm... the paint seems a bit faded, but the plane itself is really cool. Let's see... wings are in good order... propeller seems to spin nicely... this thing is completely intact. Ecstatic, the young fox decided to go into the cockpit. Slowly, he climbed up and gradually reached his hand into the seat of the cockpit. It seemed to be a bit high for a cockpit this size... the chair was king of furry as well. Obviously, this hasn't been cleaned very well. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers. In one quick motion, Tails jumped into cockpit... and onto a sleeping blue hedgehog.  
Sonic woke up almost immediately, quite startled at his sudden awakening. "What the heck?" he said, then noticing the orange fox seated on his bosom. Tails jumped out almost immediately, quite embarrassed at what had just happened.  
"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't see you," Tails stated nervously.  
Sonic looked at Tails for a second, and then smiled. "Heh, who would've thought we'd meet up again so soon?" Sonic jumped from the cockpit onto the ground.  
"I just... I was just looking at your plane, that's all. It's actually quite a piece of work. Did you work on it yourself?"  
Sonic seemed a little surprised at Tails inquiry. "Well, uh, no. Actually a friend gave this to me before I left on vacation."  
"Really? Wow, he must be a pretty good mechanic then. Boy, I haven't seen a plane like this since I went to the city a month ago. And none of them were nearly as sleek as this one. What I wouldn't do to work on this thing."  
"Umm..." Sonic was a bit confused. "Honestly, I can barely fly the thing, much less 'work' on it. And what city are you talking about?"  
"Oh, that's right; you're not from around here." Tails pointed to the North. "Over in that direction is Metropolis. It isn't nearly as big as this place, but it's still quite a site. I like to visit there every so often to look at some of the new planes and stuff they got. West Island's pretty big. We have everything from forests to mountains to caves to--"  
"You... you're a mechanic?" Sonic interrupted. He could hardly believe that someone so young could really be able to fix things.  
Tails blushed. "Actually, you could say I'm an engineer."  
Sonic shook his head in disbelief, and then smirked. "My goodness. First you can fly and now you tell me you're an engineer? What else could you be hiding?"  
Tails thought for a moment. "Well, I do have this." Tails took out the blue gemstone, hoping to impress Sonic even more. What he got instead was a reaction he didn't expect.  
"What the... where the heck did you find that?" Sonic said nervously.  
Tails was confused the hedgehog's reaction. "Um, I found it in the water over there," he said, pointing to the large waterfall.  
Sonic looked towards the lake, and then back to the gemstone. He gazed at it for some time. That... it couldn't be... I could've sworn they were destroyed. Maybe it's--  
Suddenly, Sonic heard a rumbling noise coming from a nearby group of trees. Sonic and Tails jerked their heads, trying to see what had caused the noise. As if out of nowhere, a large vehicle appeared from the trees, leaving a trail of brush and broken limbs behind it. The vehicle was mostly silver with red highlights, but its most notable feature was the large drill mounted on the front. It was flanked by a group of four floating robots, each with a yellow glowing eye in the middle of its frontal area. Sonic tightened up as he saw who the driver of the vehicle was.  
It was none other than Dr. Eggman  
So Eggman's come back for more, huh, thought Sonic as he stared at his old foe.  
Eggman looked at Sonic menacingly. "So," he began, "we meet again hedgehog. I never thought I'd see you again, especially here of all places."  
"So Eggman," Sonic said, "I see you haven't change at all. Still as chubby as ever, huh?"  
"Maybe so, but looks aren't everything you know." Eggman signaled his robots, which then went in front of the vehicle. They stood there until another robot of the same kind appeared, carrying with its arms another inactive robot resembling a large hornet. "I see your friend there is a bit confused."  
Tails, who had been confused since Eggman's arrival, whispered to Sonic. "You know this guy?"  
Sonic looked at Tails in the corner of his eye, still focused on Eggman. "His name is Dr. Eggman. He's some sort of mad scientist bent on world domination. No problem though, I owned his butt last time we battled at South Island."  
Tails looked at the hornet-like robot intently. "What's with that hornet thing? It doesn't seem to work at all."  
Sonic cringed slightly at the question. "Just take a look kid. You'll see what kind of madman this guy is."  
"Heh heh, he'll get to see alright." With that Eggman pressed a button on his console, which caused the yellow-eyed robot to reach into its inside compartment and pull out an unconscious red bird.  
"A bird?" Tails exclaimed, "What could he do with that?"  
The robot took the bird and placed it inside a compartment in the hornet robot. Suddenly, the lifeless robot started to whir, and gradually hovered up into the air, now fully active. It looked around its surroundings and focused directly on Sonic.  
Tails was horrified, and almost fell down at the site. "That's... that's horrible," he said, still in shock, "How in the world could you do something like that to a poor defenseless animal?" Tails clenched his teeth and looked at Eggman intently.  
Eggman laughed. "A little touchy, aren't we. Don't worry, the bird is alive. He'd have to be if he's going to power my robots effectively."  
"That's it!" Tails exclaimed as he began to run towards Eggman. His trip was cut short when Sonic took hold of his Tails. "Let go of me Sonic. I'm going to teach that guy a lesson."  
"No, Tails!" Sonic said, grasping his tails tightly to prevent him from going further. "Trust me; you'd better let me take care of this."  
"But Sonic..."  
"Eggman is dangerous. He may not show it, but he can be very tough to beat if you don't know what you're doing. Besides, if I know him, he's here for only one reason." Sonic looked at the gemstone in Tails' hand.  
"You are perceptive, hedgehog," Eggman acknowledged. "I'm sure you'll be saddened to hear that I already have a head start." As he said this, Eggman raised his hand into the air, revealing a green gemstone, which was exactly the same size and shape as the blue gemstone Tails had in his hand. "If you're smart, you'll give me the other gem right now."  
So it's true. I never thought I'd see those Chaos Emeralds again. "Humph, don't be stupid," Sonic said confidently, "I beat you once, I'll beat you again. What makes this time any different from the last."  
Eggman chuckled. "You'll soon see, hedgehog, that things are quite different this time around." Eggman pressed another button on his console, and then stared into the distance behind Sonic.  
Hmm... Sonic turned around and saw that Eggman was staring at. A large swarm of hornet-like robots flew towards Sonic, completely surrounding him and Tails.  
"You see, Sonic, I underestimated you last time. I realized that if I'm going to beat you, I'm going to have to give you everything I've got. As you can see, I've increased the number of robots at my disposal. I now have enough robots to completely swamp you, even with your high speed. Now, I'll tell you again. Give me the other Chaos Emerald."  
Sonic looked around at the hornets for a minute. He looked at Tails and noticed the shivering of his body when Tails clutched him tightly. I hope he'll be all right... Sonic focused his gaze on Eggman and smirked. "Bring it on, Eggman!"  
Tails seemed perplexed. "Sonic, what're you doing?" he asked nervously.  
Sonic looked at Tails again, still smirking. "Don't worry about. I've seen worse from Eggman," Sonic replied. He's young and very nervous. Still, I don't know if I'll be able to beat Eggman by myself this time...  
Eggman laughed again at the hedgehog's taunt. "You're still quite confident? Perhaps you'll need to get a little more down-to-earth. I assure you, I--" Eggman was interrupted by a beeping sound coming from a device in his Drill Tank. He paused for a moment and looked at it intently. Darn... why does he-- "There's been a slight change of plans," Eggman yelled to Sonic, looking at him again, "I was planning to kill you myself but I think my hornets will be good enough for the job." Eggman pressed another button on his console, and the hornets surrounding Sonic and Tails began to hum louder and start circling them. "Go forth my hornets. Kill Sonic and his little fox friend."  
"Heh, you're afraid, aren't you?" Sonic taunted, looking at Eggman now. "I expected better from you this time around."  
"As amusing as I find that, hedgehog, I have no time to deal with you personally." Eggman took control of the tank, swerved around, and headed back through the forest I a quick burst of speed. The five silver robots around him followed him back, while the hornet came and joined the rest of the group circling Sonic.  
He's fast...  
"Sonic, look out!"  
Sonic turned around quickly to see one of the large hornets speeding straight towards him. With a quick burst of speed, he circled around the hornet, jumped towards it and then curled up into a ball, blasting straight through the hornet, all in one quick motion, starling the nearby Tails.  
"Wait, Sonic!" Tails exclaimed.  
Sonic knew exactly what Tails was worried about. "Don't get alarmed. It's okay."  
Confused, Tails looked towards the remains of the hornet to see a tiny squirrel jump out completely unharmed. It was surrounded by a greenish aura. "It... it survived... How did--" Tails was cut short as he was hurled to the ground by Sonic, who then proceeded to destroy the hornet that had been speeding towards him before he hit the ground.  
"Pay attention kid!" Sonic said indignantly as he dodged and countered the hornets' attacks. "Listen, I know this is all frightening, but if you're going to survive from here on out, you're going to have to start defending yourself."  
"From here on... out?"  
Sonic continued the counterattack on the hornets, swerving around the field and using his speed to surprise many of them. As Tails watched on, frozen from shock, more and more animals started to appear from the wreckage, escaping the battlefield frantically. Those that had gone to safety were now watching intently, most of them from the central waterfall. The amazing spectacle before them shocked them as much as it did Tails. A hedgehog that could move so fast and attack so fiercely was definitely something that the dwellers here ha not seen before.  
The attack continued, and Sonic continued to dodge and counter. Soon, there were only four hornets left in the attack, which then regrouped into a straight line, high enough to avoid Sonic. Sonic watched them intently, waiting for their next move. The hornets hovered above the ground for the next few minutes, until two of them moved forward. Sonic readied himself for an attack, but was surprised when the two rearmost hornets released from their sides a large tube, connecting it to the hornets that were directly in front. Sonic, puzzled at the sight, could only watch. What the heck? The two connected tubes started to glow for a moment. Tails tried to figure out what they were doing, but even he couldn't think of anything. Not even Sonic was sure as to what was going on.  
After a minute, the tubes stopped glowing, and then retracted back into their respective hornets. The hornets up front, upon retraction of the tubes, shut down and then fell to the ground, breaking into several pieces. Confused, Sonic wondered why the hornets did all hat only to destroy half of their attack force. He looked at the wreckage or a moment, until it finally hit him. Wait a second... they didn't do what I thin they just did. If they did, then that means... Sonic looked into the air at the two remaining hornets. Tails gazed at them, puzzled as well. Tails puzzlement turned to fright, however, when he saw the two hornets release from their sides each a large cannon.  
Sonic saw the transformation as well. Darn it... this doesn't look good. The two hornets fired their cannons immediately, almost catching Sonic by surprise. Sonic barely dodged the first shot, and then proceeded to move evasively. They're too high for me to attack them. Eggman's previous hornets couldn't fly this high... maybe Eggman IS serious this time. Sonic tried to look around for some sort springboard to shoot from. There was the waterfall, but it was too far away. Sonic looked at the Tornado, but shook off the thought; he wouldn't have nearly enough time to start it. I guess there's only one option then... we'll have to escape.  
"Tails!" Sonic called out, "we're going to have to-- No!" Sonic looked on as one of the hornets noticed Tails, still frozen on the ground, firing its cannon at him. "TAILS!" Sonic rushed over to Tails as fast as he possibly could, and then pushed him hard out of the way. But before Sonic could move away, the hornet's shot hit him square on the arm, causing Sonic to scream out in pain.  
Tails was shaken by the sudden push, and when he got back on his feet, noticed Sonic wincing in pain. "Sonic!" he screamed loudly, attracting the attention of the hornet's again. No. Now what do I do? The hornets aimed their cannons at the fox, ready to finish him. Sonic can't beat them. But that means... Tails looked at Sonic, still recovering from his injury, and remembered what he had said earlier... He's right. If I can't defend myself, I'm not going to last long against Eggman. And there's no way I'm going to let him get away with what he's done. It's time I stopped being afraid. Tails tightened his face and looked towards the hornets again. They're going down. Tails braced himself as the hornets shot their cannons, causing two blasts of energy to come straight towards Tails, which, when they hit, would ensure Tails' demise.  
  
Next Chapter: Tails is in trouble while Sonic watches on, unable to come to his friend's aid. Yet Tails doesn't seem so afraid... Meanwhile, Eggman wanders the Emerald Hills, searching for something... how will Sonic and Tails survive their battle and what exactly caused Eggman to leave so suddenly? Find out in Chapter 2: The Controllers of Chaos  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, that was refreshing. I think the chapter is a bit cliché in some parts, and you could probably tell I was rushing to get this done... which I was :/ . Still, I think this turned out okay. I certainly wanted more to happen in this chapter, but at about 3500-3600 words, I think this is enough typing for a while (my hands hurt :P ) Anyways, remember to RR and stay tuned for next chapter, where I get to take advantage of a little something I like to called creative license... 


	3. The Controllers of Chaos

Hello again! As you probably have guessed from the end of the last chapter, thins are starting to heat up. Sonic is in trouble and... well, if you're really lazy, you can just read the lazily pasted ending of Chapter 1 here :P Now we get to see Tails in action. Anyways, please RR, I haven't been getting many lately. Your reviews help me to keep on going, which I hope happens since I've got a lot of cool stuff planned for later in the story. Anyways, enough chit-chat, let's start the next chapter of "West Island Chaos" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------  
  
"Tails!" Sonic called out, "we're going to have to-- No!" Sonic looked on as one of the hornets noticed Tails, still frozen on the ground, firing its cannon at him. "TAILS!" Sonic rushed over to Tails as fast as he possibly could, and then pushed him hard out of the way. But before Sonic could move away, the hornet's shot hit him square on the arm, causing Sonic to scream out in pain.  
Tails was shaken by the sudden push, and when he got back on his feet, noticed Sonic wincing in pain. "Sonic!" he screamed loudly, attracting the attention of the hornet's again. No. Now what do I do? The hornets aimed their cannons at the fox, ready to finish him. Sonic can't beat them. But that means... Tails looked at Sonic, still recovering from his injury, and remembered what he had said earlier... He's right. If I can't defend myself, I'm not going to last long against Eggman. And there's no way I'm going to let him get away with what he's done. It's time I stopped being afraid. Tails tightened his face and looked towards the hornets again. They're going down. Tails braced himself as the hornets shot their cannons, causing two blasts of energy to come straight towards Tails, which, when they hit, would ensure Tails' demise.  
  
WEST ISLAND CHAOS Chapter 2 - Showdown: The Fast and Furious Battle  
  
"Tails!" shouted Sonic from the ground where he kneeled. He had tried to start running again, but for some reason found himself unable to move his feet. With him incapacitated, he had no way of helping Tails, who found himself the hornet's line of fire.  
This is it. Tails closed his eyes and jumped as high as he could. At the height of his jump, his two tails started to spin rapidly, bringing him even higher into the air. The two energy blasts hit the ground, causing a large explosion that managed to knock Tails back a few good feet yet still remained in the air. The two hornets didn't waste any time, firing another round of energy blasts almost immediately after the first. Tails quickly moved to the side, dodging the shots easily. Not letting up, the hornets continued with a barrage of fire, which Tails was able to evade easily, moving quickly through the air.  
Sonic watched the spectacle from below. Wow... who would've thought he'd be so fast... He tried to get up again, but without the support of his legs, he simply fell to the ground again. But how long can he keep this up...  
Tails continued sifting through the barrage of shots that bombarded him. There has to be a way to stop them... Wait a second! Tails moved forward towards the hornets, dodging all their shots in the process. Soon enough he found himself between the two machines, and then stopped. A split-second later, Tails moved out of the way as the two robots fired again. But now the robots' shots were heading straight towards each other. Gotcha. Tails looked on as the shots reached their targets... and then watched as the shots proceeded to pass the hornets, which had dodged the concentrated energy with swift speed. The hornets repositioned themselves and looked at Tails again.  
Eggman's gotten smart, Sonic thought as he watched the hornets dodge each shot. His robots are much faster this time around, and he made sure I wouldn't be able to run. Sonic massaged his legs, which were still sore from the previous blast. Tails had an awesome idea, but that didn't even work...  
Tails moved as the barrage of energy shots began to start again. He continued flying through the air in quick motion, all the while trying to come up with a way to stop them. I can't run from them forever, and trying to make them hit each other didn't work. They're so fast they could just move out of the way! Tails looked at the hornets again, this time taking note of an interesting detail that he hadn't noticed before. Perhaps... but that'd be too risky. He looked at Sonic below, who was still unable to move. Still, I have to do something. Tails turned around and started approaching the hornets again, much in the same way he had before. After some time, he was in the hornets' vicinity once again... but this time, he wasn't between them.  
He was on top of one of them.  
Tails had grabbed the body of one of the hornets and latched himself to its metallic body. The hornet started to move around erratically, attempting to knock Tails off, but the young fox would not let go. Suddenly, the hornet stopped moving, and in fact stood perfectly still in the air. Tails continued to hold on and watched as the hornet opposite him began to power up a large energy bullet. Tails didn't move an inch and waited for the hornet to fire... and that it did. The blast headed towards him and the hornet. Tails watched it intently as it approached him at a fast speed. Just a little further... The blast was within 10 meters of Tails when he loosened his grip slightly and, with a fling of his arms, swung the hornet below him in front of him, making it act as a shield. The blast made a direct hit on the hornet, causing it to explode into a myriad of broken metal pieces. Tails felt the recoil from the explosion, causing him to fall to the ground near where Sonic was...  
Sonic watched as Tails landed beside him. "Tails!" he exclaimed, hoping for some sort of response.  
"I'm... I'm fine," Tails replied, getting up slowly. He looked at the remaining hornet in the air. "That last blast took a lot of energy. It needs time to recharge before it can attack again."  
"I guess we're lucky then. Tails, what you did there was awesome!"  
Tails smiled. "I guess it worked after all didn't it?" Tails' musings were interrupted as it noticed the hornet repositioning itself. "It looks like it's almost ready to fire. Sonic."  
"What is it?"  
"I have a plan. Sonic, are you able to do your spin attack?"  
Sonic thought for a moment. "Well, I think so, but even if I could I would have to be in the air. My legs seem to be paralyzed so I can't jump."  
"Well, then just leave everything to me." Tails approached Sonic quickly and grabbed his hands. A second later the fox's tails began to spin, preparing him to fly into the air again.  
"Tails, what're you doing?" Sonic asked nervously.  
"You need to be in the air, right? Well, I can take you."  
"WHAT!" Sonic exclaimed as he felt himself lift off the ground. Immediately afterwards, the hornet began firing again. Sonic began to feel dizzy as Tails sped up his flight.  
"It was a good thing the first hornet had been destroyed, or else I probably wouldn't be able to dodge their attacks." Tails continued to evade the attacks as he moved higher and higher into the air. Sonic watched on as he sung himself to avoid the energy blasts. "All right Sonic, this is it." Sonic nodded as Tails began to fly faster, moving perpendicular to the hornet's line of fire, causing it to pivot in place in order to attack Tails. Tails continued at that speed as he threw Sonic towards the hornet. The hornet had been chasing Tails, but immediately noticed the threat coming at him from above.  
"Not this time you oversized bug..." Sonic curled up into a ball and headed straight towards the machine. The hornet attempted to reposition itself for an attack, but it was too late. In one quick moment, Sonic found himself on the ground and the hornet found itself the same fate as its fallen comrade...  
Tails finally landed on the ground and ran towards Sonic, who had collapsed upon reaching the green terrain. Sonic tried to stand up, but found that his legs were still paralyzed. "Hey Tails," Sonic said as Tails went next to him, "Can you help me up?" Tails began to laugh, but found himself drowned out by the cheers coming from the denizens of the large Emerald Hill waterfall.  
  
In another part of the Emerald Hill, Eggman watched as the final blip on his radar screen vanished, and then banged his fists on the cockpit of his Drill Tank. "Darn you Sonic. How in the world was he able to defeat my robots? Surely, one of them must have hit him with those paralysis shots."  
"Perhaps you didn't see the bigger threat."  
Eggman, startled, looked around to find the source of that mysterious voice. He found it in a small green hedgehog, a little over three meters tall, wearing a pair of jet black sneakers and a small yellow bracelet around his left wrist. "So you've finally come. All the time I wasted here could've been spent trying to destroy that blasted hedgehog."  
"Hedgehog? Ah, that blue hedgehog you've told me about. He's here. What a remarkable coincidence." The hedgehog smiled, looking at a few small animals surrounding him.  
"You don't seem to take this very seriously, do you?" Eggman looked at the green hedgehog. "Then again, I suppose this whole situation is a big game to you."  
"A game? No, more like... a challenge. These chaos emeralds seem to be very elusive, are they not? Speaking of which, where is the one you missed."  
Eggman looked down with a stern look on his face. "The hedgehog and that blasted fox got to it first..."  
The hedgehog looked at Eggman. "So, it seems your impulsiveness has cost us again. If you would be a bit more observant, we'd have three emeralds instead of just that one."  
Eggman cringed. "I didn't think that there'd be two emeralds so close to each other."  
"Don't forget the one in the ruins you didn't bother to check. Carelessness like that isn't going to get your 'experiment' ready any time soon."  
"I never asked for your help."  
"Then why did you except it when I offered?"  
Eggman remained silent for a minute. The hedgehog smiled and looked away towards the horizon. "Get that emerald back and kill the little thieves. I'll see what I can find at those ruins." With that the hedgehog turned away from Eggman and started to run towards the forest. He wasn't particularly fast, but it was enough to get him from place to place quickly.  
Eggman watched as the hedgehog disappeared from view. "Well, if I know the little rodent, he's going to be here soon. And when he arrives, I'll make sure he doesn't leave here alive...  
"And soon I'll be alone in my conquest..."  
  
Sonic uttered a sigh of relief as he placed his injured leg into the water. "Wow, I think it's getting better already." Sonic massaged his legs again and was actually able to move it around a little bit.  
"Hey Sonic!" Tails exclaimed as he surfaced from below the water. He had jumped in to refresh himself after the battle with the hornets. "Why don't you jump in? I'm sure that'll help your leg even more.  
"Heh, no thanks. I'm sure it'd be nice, but I... sort of have a thing with water..."  
Tails looked at him for a few seconds, slightly puzzled. "Okay, suit yourself." Tails swam under the water again.  
Sonic sighed, and then took out the blue chaos emerald. Tails had given it to him before he went into the water to look at. I don't understand... I was sure I had released the six emeralds' power on South Island. So why do they still exist, and better yet, why are they here on West Island? Sonic clutched the emerald as Tails resurfaced from the water. Wait a second, how would Eggman know if--  
"What's on your mind?" Tails inquired as he jumped completely out of the water and made his way to the side of his friend. "You're looking at that gem quite intently. You had the same expression just before Eggman attacked us." Sonic looked at Tails, slightly taken aback, "Is there something about it I don't know?"  
Heh, Sonic thought, I'm going to have to be careful around him. He's trustworthy though, so I guess... "Well, these gems are actually quite special. They're called Chaos Emeralds, and they're a huge source of energy that's capable of changing the very essence of space and time, if used correctly."  
"A huge source of energy?" Tails was a bit dumbfounded, "Are you sure about that?"  
"Quite sure. I had to make use of its powers when Eggman completely trashed my home on South Island. It was the only way to undo all the problems he caused and put things into order."  
"Chaos emeralds... controllers of chaos. That makes sense actually. I remember hearing some bizarre stories about South Island, but most of them were thought be just hot air." Tails stood up and thought for a moment. "A powerful source of energy... I wonder if the energy can be harnessed for mechanical purposes..."  
"Oh yes, it can..." Sonic smirked. "After all, why else would Eggman want them if he didn't know exactly what they were capable of?"  
"So that means... what we have here is a source of energy more powerful than any fuel. I'm sure with enough time we can use it to our advantage."  
Sonic was surprised to hear this. "You really think you can do that?" he asked.  
"Sure, why not?" Tails replied, smiling encouragingly.  
I can't believe this kid. None of the mechanics at my home would even think of trying to use a chaos emerald... yet this fox doesn't even seem to break a sweat. Sonic shook his head. "Well, if you think you can do it, try. I'm not going to stop you."  
"That's good. Still, if Eggman's looking for them, he has to have a good reason. Tell me, how many of these chaos emeralds are there?"  
"Six..."  
"Six?! And we only have one? Come on Sonic, we have to go."  
"Go? Go where?"  
  
"Sonic, Eggman said he had something to take care of."  
"Yeah, so?"  
"What other reason would he have for him not to fight us? After all, if you're his main enemy, you'd think he wouldn't waste any time trying to kill you."  
"Wait, are you implying that he's found another chaos emerald?!"  
"That's exactly what I'm saying."  
The thought hadn't even crossed Sonic's mind. To think I would've stayed here while Eggman got himself another emerald. How stupid of me. "Well then," Sonic replied as he stood up, "we're going to have to go and stop Eggman right this second."  
"I'm going with you." Tails said with confidence as he stood up alongside the hedgehog.  
"... I don't know if that's a good--"  
"Come on Sonic. You saw how I fought against those hornets."  
"Okay, that's true..."  
"...Besides, I can fix your plane, I can help with the chaos emeralds, and besides that your leg is still--"  
Sonic put his finger on Tails' mouth. "I get it, I get it. Okay, I could use your help. You can start by making sue the plane is in prime condition."  
"Okay!" Tails affirmed excitedly as he ran towards the red plane.  
"Meanwhile," Sonic spoke to himself, "I have to do something about this leg." Sonic stumbled to the ground holding the still numb leg. "Heh, perhaps standing up wasn't the greatest idea I've thought of." He promptly placed his leg in the water again, which helped ease the discomfort. He thought about the chaos emeralds again, and pondered over many of the puzzling aspects of the situation, but one question stood out in his mind.  
How could Eggman have possibly discovered the emeralds he thought were destroyed? ----------------------- I hate laziness. After aout six months I'm finally updating this story witha relatively shor chapter. Don't worry though, I'll finish this story eventually. And before you ask the green hedgehog is in no way supposed to be a character similar to Shadow. I'm not that unoriginal :P Remember to RR, I need encouragement as incentive to continue working. Thanks for reading 


	4. Showdown: The Fast and Furious Battle

I guess adventure stories don't get reviewed much... not that I blame anyone, as I only read the humor and romance sections of most categories anyway. Here's chapter 3 (4 if you include the prologue) of West Island Chaos, which covers a very familiar part of the game. Read on to find out ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
WEST ISLAND CHAOS Chapter 3 - Showdown: The Fast and Furious Battle  
  
Ugh, how nice...  
The water on the ancient stone walkway rippled gently as the pair of black sneakers stepped slowly on the crumbled path. A squishing noise could be heard from the sneakers as they slowly absorbed the thin coating of water covering the rock structure, much to the annoyance of the sneakers' owner. The structure itself stood upon a large lake, supported by the tall and thick columns stretching from the bottom of the structure to the depths of the water body. Despite its size, the walkway was relatively stable, and quite able to hold the weight of a large green hedgehog.  
Nevertheless, uneasiness could be sensed from the hedgehog as he slowly made his way through the hanging green foliage whilst stepping across the walkway. He looked at his surroundings for a bit, which included peering into the deep, murky water.  
Steady... as long as you are careful, the water won't be a problem... just be careful. With a light sigh, the hedgehog continued on the walkway, paying special attention to different areas of the stone. He had twice already nearly caused his own demise by stepping on an unstable area of the rock, and made sure to avoid making the same mistake again.  
Two hours had passed since he reached the ruins. They were relatively close to the Emerald Hills, so the trip hadn't been much of a problem. However, the entire time here had been spent on water covered stone structures and in dilapidated, ruined edifices. And there was still no sign of the emerald.  
The abnormal operation of the Emerald radar didn't help the least bit.  
At the outskirts of the ruins, he had taken out the radar, anticipating a swift recovery of the emerald, only to be treated to an empty screen upon powering up the device. Impossible... it was clear there was an emerald in this area when we passed by. Or maybe Eggman was-- The sound of the radar interrupted his thoughts by displaying the location of an emerald. Or maybe not. I knew that-- As sudden as the emerald had appeared, it disappeared, only to reappear in a completely different spot on the radar. What the heck is going on here? Puzzled, the green hedgehog began to search the ruins in hopes of getting a consistent reading. He had not been successful as of yet though.  
Darn it. Eggman's stupid device isn't working! How am I going to find these emeralds if-- He was interrupted by another noise, this time by the bracelet in his left wrist. Ugh, I don't have time for this. Then again... I don't think I'll be finding this emerald any time soon. He pressed a small button on the inside of the bracelet, and was then greeted to a slightly energetic voice, slightly mangled by small traces of static.  
"Dash... Da... can you hear... Dash!"  
  
How nice, the hedgehog thought sarcastically as he adjusted the sound using a small dial on the inside of the bracelet. He found a spot in the house to sit down in and began to listen intently.  
  
That hedgehog should be here shortly. And when he comes, I'll be ready for him. Dr. Eggman looked into the horizon, still piloting his drill tank and flanked by the four yellow-eyed robots. After the green hedgehog left, Eggman piloted himself into a large clearing, away from any noticeable rock formations and with few trees. The location provided very good terrain for his drill tank to maneuver in.  
That blasted fool shouldn't have gotten past my army of robot hornets. Now I actually have to do this myself, just like before... Eggman's mind wandered as he recollected an interesting statement made to him earlier.  
"Perhaps you didn't see the bigger threat."  
Eggman went over the statement multiple times. Perhaps he knows something that I don't. But the only way that could happen is if he was watching the battle somehow. But afterward he talked as if he didn't know Sonic had come. That doesn't make any sense. What could-- The sound of crashing metal and fiery explosions filled his ears, startling Eggman and interrupting any deliberations he had. He looked behind him to find the remains of his four robots surrounding the unscathed blue hedgehog.  
"I suppose you're just going to sit there all day while I beat the living crap out of you and your robots," Sonic stated with his trademark smirk, "You're just as careless and stupid as before."  
He noticed a bandage wrap around Sonic's two legs. "So, it seems the hornets were successful in hitting you."  
"Yes, that was quite clever of you. Even though I was hit in the arm, the blast was specifically designed to cripple my legs, and therefore my speed. But it seems your plan didn't work out the way it was supposed to."  
Eggman knew that already. He was able to destroy my robots with ease, faster than I was able to notice. He shouldn't be able to do that after being hit like that. "Mind telling me what the problem with my strategy was?"  
Sonic continued to stand up, confidence in his presence. "You didn't count on the world's fastest hedgehog being able to recover fast enough, now did you?"  
He merely recovered? Impossible, I made absolutely sure the effect would last for at least a few days. "Well then, it seems I underestimated you. But do you honestly think you can defeat my powerful drill tank?"  
"I've seen worse from you Eggman. I honestly expected something more impressive from someone so intent on killing me. Or maybe you just don't have what it takes."  
Eggman's rage was building up quickly. I can't let him think I'm worried. "There's more to me than you think hedgehog. And I'll be sure to make you regret ever toying with the great and powerful Eggman." Eggman pressed a button on his control panel, causing the huge drill in the front of the machine to spin rapidly. I'm at a huge disadvantage since the paralyzing effect hasn't worked on him. Still, if I play my cards right I can still stop him from interfering with me further.  
Well, Sonic thought, he really does want to play. I hope this works... Sonic stood there confidently, watching Eggman's every move. The drill tank began moving towards Sonic quickly. He continued standing despite the shrinking distance between him and the mammoth machine. When the drill tank neared Sonic, it suddenly veered to the right of him and passed him. The blue hedgehog continued unmoving though.  
Could he have anticipated that move? He just stands there, as if he knows I was going to try and fake him out. Well, no matter, he won't get lucky again. Eggman quickly turned the vehicle around and headed straight towards Sonic again. Sonic reposition himself to face the drill tank face- to-face, confidently staring at Eggman in a taunting fashion. The drill tank veered to its left as it approached Sonic, and Eggman watched in annoyance as Sonic continued to stand in the same spot, surrounded by the robots' remains.  
Again? He couldn't have predicted my movements again, could he have? Thoroughly annoyed, Eggman turned the drill tank around and headed straight towards Sonic in a mad dash. Let's see if he'll predict a straight-out rush... Surely he won't think I'd go straight for him. The machine accelerated rapidly as it approached Sonic. It came closer and closer while Sonic showed no intentions of moving from that spot. I have you now Sonic! The back of the machine suddenly let out a huge explosion as its speed went into a quick and steady decline, then suddenly tilted on its side, brushing against the ground and coming to a complete stop approximately 50 feet away from the hedgehog.  
"What?!" Eggman began hysterically, "But how... you didn't... you're not THAT fast."  
You'd be right about that," Sonic replied confidently, suddenly falling onto the ground while massaging his legs, "In fact, I'm not really that fast at all at this point."  
"But... that means... you were paralyzed by the shot."  
"Heh, of course. Pretty good strategy, though it would've been easier to just kill me rather than paralyze me. Seems your ego has gotten the best of you again, hey Egghead?"  
"Darn... you... SONIC!" Eggman was furious at the insult hurled at him. He was too angry to even think about how he had been defeated in the first place.  
"Tails!" Sonic yelled, "You can come out now Tails!" Sonic looked up and saw a red plane flying through the sky with Tails at the helm.  
"Worked like a charm," the fox said to himself, "I guess this wasn't such a bad idea after all..."  
  
"Umm, Sonic?" Tails began nervously, "Are you sure this is going to work? I mean, can't we just wait until your legs get better?"  
"I don't know. We'll just have to see I guess." Sonic replied, not a hint of doubt showing in his confident face. He moved his head to face Tails. "What, are you worried?"  
What kind of question is that? Tails thought, becoming slightly annoyed at the hedgehog. "Well... what am I supposed to say? If something goes wrong, than you..." Tails struggled to get the words out of his mouth, but despite his best efforts he was unable to finish the thought.  
"I see. Then you're afraid."  
Tails felt a chill go through his back. He recalled the many times had he heard those words spoken to him. "I'm not afraid!" Tails exclaimed, though his demeanor seemed to show otherwise. "I'm never afraid!"  
"Liar," Sonic said calmly as he turned his head towards the waterfall, still smiling as if there weren't a problem in the world for him.  
Tails was puzzled at Sonic, and was unable to counter his accusation, instead bowing his head towards the ground. After all I did, after how excited I was to be able to help him... but how can he suggest something so crazy? How can he take that risk?  
Tails felt a warm presence on his left shoulder. Peering at it, he noticed Sonic's hand rested firmly on it, then looked up to see his blue face smiling at him. "It's okay to be afraid," Sonic said, "as long being afraid doesn't mean holding back from what you need to do. If something is important to you, then whether you're afraid or not really shouldn't make any difference."  
Tails was transfixed at Sonic. It feels weird. I don't think I've ever had someone care for me like this, at least since... He peered down into the swaying grass and watched a small red bird pass by. He recognized the animal as the same bird that Eggman had placed into the robot hornet. It stared at him for a moment, recognizing him as the one who'd saved him. Tails saw the bird fly away, and a few seconds later made up his mind. "I'll do it." he said, a slight amount of confidence coming back into his voice. "I asked to let you help me and you agreed. I have to fulfill my part of the bargain..." he smiled at Sonic gleefully, "no matter how crazy and stupid your tactics may be."  
"Heh," Sonic muttered, "Is that so. I would be lying if I said no one's told me that one before. Now." Sonic stumbled onto the ground, holding his legs firmly, "think you can help me onto the plane? We don't have any time to waste."  
By now Tails was a confident as he was when he started working on the plane earlier, before Sonic had talked to him about his crazy plan.  
  
Tails landed safely on the ground next to the wreckage, than made his way to the stumbling Sonic. "Are you all right?" He asked, attempting to support the hedgehog on his shoulder.  
"No problem kid," Sonic replied quickly, "you were right on target. I guess this thing isn't as rusty as I thought it was." Sonic put his arm up, revealing a small bracelet around his left wrist.  
"I heard you loud and clear in the plane, so no problems there."  
Eggman listened to the short conversation angrily. "You... little brats..."  
"Ah, Eggman, I almost forgot," Sonic said, sticking his tongue out at the fat man, angering him further. "Thanks for swerving around for me; I got to get a good look at your engine. I knew exactly where to aim for, and after the way Tails destroyed your stupid robots with the guns on the plane, I was sure he would hit." Eggman became even more furious, realizing that he had been made a fool of. "Oh, and before I forget, how about that chaos emerald you have with you? You can't escape, so you really don't have a choice."  
Eggman looked at his foe, filled with rage, until his words reminded him of something he had neglected. He looked at the front of his machine, and then, with as much strength as he could, pushed his rage down to a manageable level. "Well hedgehog," he began, "It seems you've beaten me again. I guess I have no choice but to give you the emerald." Sonic started to frown slightly at those words, and then went into a state of shock when he heard the next set. "At least, that's what you think..." Eggman lifted a small cover on his control panel and pressed a large red button, which triggered the large drill in front to start spinning as it had earlier. The difference now was that it had dislodged itself from the rest of the machine and went straight for Sonic and Tails.  
In a split second, the area where Sonic had been was covered in a large cloud of smoke and rubble as the drill hit the ground with incredible force. Very quickly afterwards, Eggman pulled a switch on his control panel, causing the wheels and wreckage of the machine to dislodge itself, revealing the heart of the machine: the floating machine he had used in the ills earlier! With high speed, the machine lifted into the air and flew away from the wreckage, distancing itself from the cloud of smoke.  
  
"What?! But the radar's never had problems like this before? Are you sure you're using it right?  
"Of course, I'm not stupid. I've been searching here for two hours, and so far the radar hasn't helped at all."  
The bracelet went silent for a moment, with Dash the hedgehog listening intently for a reply. "That's very odd. I bet that stupid Egg- what's-his-name messed with it somehow."  
"His name's Eggman moron... and I suggest you don't go around calling our employer names."  
"How can you kiss up to that big idiot? I know you're better than that Dash. I don't care how much he's going to pay us--"  
"You do care. You have to care, this may be the only chance we get to finally get off good and I don't want to blow it because of matters of personal pride."  
"Don't give me that bullcrap. You feel just like I do, and whether you admit it or not you can't say I'm lying."  
No, I can't. "Well... stop complaining. You may not want to listen to Eggman, but you will listen to me. Understood?"  
"Of course. Where is that moron anyway?"  
"Dealing with... the other hedgehog."  
"Still? I thought you and him would've finished him off already."  
"Yeah, except, I didn't fight him."  
"What?"  
"I merely wanted to observe Sonic to see if any of the strategies we practiced could be countered and..."  
It was silent for a moment. "And what?"  
"We have a problem, one that we didn't anticipate. It seems that Sonic has a friend with him, a flying two-tailed fox. I can probably take care of Sonic, but with that fox helping him it's not worth it to take the chance."  
"..."  
"Is there a problem?"  
"...No, I'm sorry. Please continue."  
"Both of us are needed so we can fight them fair and square. And even then, I want to take a look at this tactics before I go around trying to challenge him."  
"You're the one so intent on getting paid. If we wait too long they might stop us. Heck, Sonic wasn't even supposed to be here. At least Eggman was smart enough to tell us about him in case he did come."  
Dash smirked. "I don't remember you thinking that. If I recall you said something about that being a 'moronic waste of time.'"  
"Shut up! It was a long shot after all."  
"I know. I just love messing with you."  
"Whatever. Did you tell Eggman about the fox?"  
"Are you crazy? When I talked to you from the battle site I was supposed to be meeting Eggman. If he found out I wasted his time by watching Sonic, he might've called the whole deal off."  
"...So he doesn't know."  
"Let him deal with them by himself. I just want to find this stupid emerald, but your stupid emerald radar is crapping out on me."  
A sigh was heard from the bracelet. "Shut up about the radar. If you're so mad about it, bring it here and I'll look at it for you."  
"How kind of you," Dash said with a hint of sarcasm. Pressing the button on the inside of his bracelet, he placed his arm on his side and left the ruined quarters, returning to the watery stone walkway. "Stupid water," he muttered under his breath as he began his exit from the ruins.  
  
Next chapter: Metropolis. A sprawling center of trade and industry filled to the brim with denizens in all shapes and sizes of the Western Island. Among the inhabitants is a group of people who run the industrial giant Mega Muck Inc. and who've been on the butt end of ridicule from the city council for overly excessive emissions. Yet, the chilling secrets of the company are unknown to even the most prominent of city officials, especially regarding a certain factory that hasn't been in use for the last six years. The story continues in Chapter 4: Field Trip: A Visit to the Chemical Plant.  
  
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Don't you hate it when there's something in a previous chapter that you didn't really make that clear, meaning you have to explain it in a later chapter to avoid the screams of 'PLOTHOLE' by various readers even though such an explanation really does ruin the flow of the story? I do, and I hope not to have to do it again when I write this story, though I'm pretty sure I will. BTW, give a shout out to vegitadias, my loyal friend and reviewer. I try not to make the story sound too mechanical, but you know me and my writing style . Oh well, people seem to like it so I must be doing something right. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, and stay tuned for another wonderful chapter in the future. 


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